A diaper fastener that at least partially alleviates some of the difficulties associated with the use of safety pins for fastening a cloth or fabric diaper in position on an infant was disclosed by the inventor in U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,868. That product has been progressively developed over the years and the present form of the product is described in our patent publication ZA200907687. The product has a planar base member which has a central zone from which three elastically extensible arms radiate. The free ends of the arms have integrally formed pull tabs which have a generally oval shape for ease of grip between a thumb and forefinger to permit extension of the arms.
Each pull tab partially overlaps a separately molded rigid hook member which includes a number of teeth slanted so as to point in a general direction towards the central zone so that the teeth are drawn towards and engage the fabric of a diaper in relevant zones thereof by the stretched elastic zone in use. Each hook formation is attached to its associated elastic arm by means of a narrow integral stem that extends through a molded slot in the arm adjacent the pull tab and has a rather large head formation on the outside of the elastic. Assembly of the hook member onto the elastic extensible arms is achieved by passing the rather large head formation through the slot whilst stretching the material around the slot.
There is a potential that a rigid hook member could become separated from the planar base member either as a consequence of the stem fracturing or the elastic material adjacent to the slot tearing and thereby form a separate element that could cause an infant to choke or become otherwise injured thereby.
The preceding discussion of the background to the invention is intended only to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. It should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgment or admission that any of the material referred to was part of the common general knowledge in the art as at the priority date of the application.
Applicant therefore considers it to be appropriate to take measures to avoid such a situation arising.